The letter exchange between George Washington and the Hebrew congregation of Newport was not the only landmark event in the early history of America that dealt with issues of religious freedom and identity. Seixas’ letter and Washington’s subsequent response exist within a timeline of many other events during which the newly formed country faced those issues. Continue reading below for information about some of those events.

Use the following timeline to place key events during the Weimar Republic within the context of the readings and primary source resources on this site. You can also find an outline version of important dates in the Weimar Republic.

1899: Representatives of 26 nations met for the International Peace Conference where they drafted the Convention with Respect to the Laws and Customs of War on Land, one of the first formal statements of international laws related to war and war crimes.

First Opium (First Anglo-Chinese) War. Treaty of Nanking signed (1842) ending the First Opium War. China to pay large indemnity and extraterritoriality and most favored nation principle established in China

King John of England is forced to sign the Magna Carta by members of the English aristocracy. Although intended for the nobility, the document forced the king to respect certain rights of his subjects and imposed legal limits on his power.